Hong Kong lawmakers yesterday lambasted the American government's "loose practice of the rule of law", even as a top US diplomat warned of difficulties ahead in mending relations between the city and Washington.

Amid the war of words, US President Barack Obama sought to downplay the international chase for whistle-blower Edward Snowden, dismissing Snowden as "a 29-year-old hacker".

Snowden, who is now 30, is wanted on espionage charges for leaking details of secret US government surveillance.

How could the US government issue documents each bearing three different names for Snowden? This shows their practice is sloppy.

Lawmaker, barrister Ronny Tong Ka-wah SC

The US government had accused Hong Kong officials of feigning confusion over Snowden's name as a pretext for not detaining him before he fled to Russia. A US Department of Justice spokeswoman said the city's request for clarification and additional information was not genuine as images of the former US intelligence contractor were widely available through news outlets.

"Hong Kong cannot simply rely on Snowden's picture to confirm his identity. It would be a serious mistake if the Hong Kong government arrested the wrong person," said pan-democratic lawmaker and barrister Ronny Tong Ka-wah SC.

The US government could not expect Hong Kong officials to make an arrest based on media photos of Snowden, he said, criticising the US Department of Justice for "not understanding and respecting Hong Kong's legal system and the spirit of rule of law".

"It is ridiculous for the US - which always brags about their respect for human rights - to be so loose in handling the request for Snowden's arrest. How could the US government issue documents each bearing three different names for Snowden? This shows their practice is sloppy."

US consul-general Stephen Young said that he had spent three years in Hong Kong working for a good relationship between the city and the US, which had now suffered "a loss of trust".

Rebuilding that trust, Young said, "is not going to be easy," adding that, "where we have a whole series of agreements, and protocols and practices - our confidence has been shaken."

Lawmaker Ip Kwok-him, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the US government was "shameless" for heaping accusations against Hong Kong to dodge questions about cybersnooping in the city and on the mainland. "The US government is talking nonsense," he said.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying rejected the accusation that Hong Kong had a pretext for delaying the request for Snowden's arrest. The city's officials were following the principle of procedural justice when it asked the US government to provide information on Snowden, he said.

At a news conference in Dakar, Senegal, Obama made light of the matter, saying the US would not be scrambling jets or engaging in diplomatic bartering to get Snowden extradited. He said the damage to national security had already been done and his focus now was making sure it could not happen again.

"I'm not going to have one case with a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly be elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues, simply to get a guy extradited," Obama said.

Obama said he hadn't called President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladimir Putin to request their co-operation, saying: "I shouldn't have to."

Obama said such matters are routinely dealt with at a law-enforcement level, calling Snowden's extradition "not exceptional from a legal perspective."

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as U.S. 'sloppy' in filing Snowden request

Just a few weeks ago Obama was sitting down with Xi in California criticizing "China" for hacking American computers. As it turns out this was an extreme example of the pot calling the kettle black. There are laws in place and a constitution that protects peoples rights. It seems that the American government feels that they are above that and that their fight against terrorism justifies breaking all the rules.
As for Hong Kong letting Mr. Snowden leave, if the arrest warrant didn't have the correct name on it or there were other questionable factors that needed clarification, then it seems like it would be difficult to enforce the warrant. In addition to that, Hong Kong as a purported victim of this hacking should consider who committed a crime, Snowden or the American spy agency (U.S. Government). If Snowden is reporting a crime against Hong Kong then he should be welcomed here, which he isn't now because he doesn't hold a HKID or a valid travel document.
And for the Americans to blame China is ridiculous. There is no proof that the Chinese are involved.

gcmaster Jun 28th 20135:40am

Its kind of l*** excuse, but I agree with HK that US is exaggerating this incident to downplay the espionage on HK.

blue Jun 28th 20139:59am

To PROF.CALIGIURI:"Interpol watching list must be respected"

Snowden was never on any Interpol watch list. You pretty much lost all credibility by making that statement. Interpol has issued NO RED NOTICE against Snowden. Interpol considers espionage a political crimeSo much for being an "international law expert" when you can't even keep track of the fact that there's no Interpol notice.

I really hope you aren't a real professor because you are truly doing your students a disservice.

What about the fact that the US government is trampling all over our rule of law by illegally spying on our citizens? The kind of people that are crawling out of the woodwork to defend the USA are truly unbelievable!

dienamik Jun 28th 20137:15am

Nice try America. Still want answers on your SPYING.

mcheung Jun 28th 20137:29am

This Snowden fiasco has at least done one thing which no Hong Kong leader was able to do, that is both the pan democrats and the Bejing loyalist lawmakers are united (in condemning the US). Keep this up and Hong Kong will be more prosperous.

HK-Lover Jun 28th 20136:57am

Dear Mr. Consul-General of the USA, you are absolutely correct and hit the nail on the top by saying " ..... a good relationship between the city and the US, which had now suffered "a loss of trust" ".
What will the US do to give us HK people back the trust in the US that the country you represent will abide by the rule of law and respect other countries standard procedures ?
I suppose it will be hard work for you to manage the US to work up its way back to be again on eye level with the HK government and not been seen as a country behaving like a little bullying boy who is upset not being accepted in the sports team because he even couldn't get his name right on the application .

Yes of course. It's so much better for HK media to follow the US model where the US media rally around the US government and denounce Snowden as a traitor and pollute the jury pool in order to guarantee that he'll never have a fair trial.

You're either a fool or a CIA plant.

richieskerr Jun 28th 20139:00am

While I wouldn't say that the United States has become completely lawless in its international dealings, it's recent history of conducting undeclared wars around the globe, has resulted in its playing somewhat fast and loose, with the niceties of international law. Undoubtedly with its Alice and Wonderland attitude of "first the verdict, then the trial", it becomes irritated and moody when confronted by nations and states that follow the proper legal requirements of their own laws, and the well known procedures of international law. The United States placed demands on Hong Kong for the extradition of the whistleblower, Edward Snowden, even before they had submitted criminal charges. It would be illegal for the United States to demand extradition of U. S. citizens just on a whim, without having filed criminal charges. it is markedly disingenuous for the United States to expect Hong Kong authorities not to review a case for extradition thoroughly before granting the request. If any party was too slow at following procedures it was the Unites States. Edward Snwden is not a spy, or a terrorist, he is a whistleblower, and the court of World opinion has already reviewed the case, and has judged this to be true.